Ohio Valley Saturday Showdown

Men's Basketball

Ohio Valley Saturday Showdown

The national spotlight will shine brightly on the Ohio Valley Saturday afternoon when West Liberty State will play its regular-season home finale against rival Wheeling Jesuit in a Division II WVIAC showdown that will be nationally televised.

CBS College Sports will broadcast the game and tipoff is set for 4 pm ET at West Liberty's Academic, Sports and Recreation Center. The game can also been seen live on ncaa.com.

A high scoring affair could be in the offering Saturday afternoon as West Liberty enters the games as the country's highest scoring team for the fourth straight season.

"We're extremely excited and honored to have been selected out of more than 270 NCAA Division-II schools nationwide as the host venue for a men's basketball game broadcast," West Liberty Athletics Director Jim Watson said. "How often do you get a chance to showcase your school, your conference, your community and a great local rivalry on a regional and national stage?"

This will be the 131st meeting between the two schools and a sellout crowd is expected to be on hand for a contest that will have major conference implications.

West Liberty State (20-6, 15-4 WVIAC) just secured its fifth straight 20-victory season under the direction of coach Jim Crutchfield, while Wheeling Jesuit (12-14, 10-9) will be fighting to earn a first-round home game in the West Virginia Conference Tournament.

Last time out, West Liberty State reached the 20-win milestone despite a season-high 27 turnovers. The Hilltoppers edged Ohio Valley, 97-90, thanks to 26 points from Ben Howlett and 21 from Shane Maynard.

Wheeling Jesuit is coming off a 60-58 loss to Seton Hill at home.

The season's previous meeting between the two teams saw the Hilltoppers knock off the Cardinals for the seventh straight ime, 77-73, Feb. 3.

Information from West Liberty State & Wheeling Jesuit was used in this report.